Lamp switch operator



April 2, 1940. s. scHoENBEG LAMP SWIlCH DPERATDR Filed Aug.) 1:5. 19,58

INVENTOR. By A /Scvwwk Ww W ATTORNEY Patented Apr. Z,

' SWITCH' OPERATOR Benjamin Schoenberg, Corona, Long f Island, l N. Y., assignor to Eagle Electric Mfg; Co., Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York" vAprilesoon August 13, 1938,' seriaiNo; 224,813

4 Claims.

This inventionrelates to operators for attachment to ceiling canopies that enclose interiorly mounted electrical sockets operable by sidewardly extending pull-chains, usuallyformed of ball and socket links. f

Among the features of the invention are a bracket so formed that it rmly engages the lower rim of the canopy and is secured thereto detachably by 'a screw, a lever being pivotally mounted on the bracket sothat it `can be rocked away from and towards the canopy, and the lever may have two arms disposed' at an acute angle with reference to each other, and be formed angularly in cross-section, and a notch may be formed in the lever; or`a'-plura1ity of slots or notches formed in the side of the lever, the slots or notches being of such size as to permit the insertion of a pull-chainl therein and being so positioned that they securelyfhold the pull-chain against escapev when the lever is rocked outwardly or inwardly, and these slotsalso permit vfastening the lever to the pull-chain in a numberr of different positions along the length of the chain so thatfthe lever` may be adjusted with reference to the pull-chain which operates the electrical switch. Anotherfeature of theinvention is the provision of a stop'llimiting the motion of the lever toward the canopy. y

It is the principal object of the invention that the lever normally is inthe upper position nearest the canopy where it is held by the tension of the electrical switch-spring, but a downward pull on a string suspended from the lever operates the switch.- To minimize tension on the the description in section.

Figure iis va front view of, Figure p'artbroken away.

Figure 5 is a side view part in section.

Figure 6 is a front view of Figure 5, part broken away.

Figure '7 is a side view of another modification, part in section.

of another .modioation,

ken away.

4*Figure 8 is a iront viewoiFigure 7,-j'pvart brif Referring to the drawing and especially to Figs. 1 and 2 a ceiling canopy Ill of theusual construction is'provided with `a ball and socket pull-chain Il extending througha nipple or Stud on they side of the' canopy. .The improved ldevice inv one form comprises a bracket which` has a downward extensionv I5 curved inwardly atthe bottom vat 'I3 to engage linearly the bottom or i0 rim of thecanopy Ill'l and an upward extension I4 adapted to engage the inside" ofthe canopy I6. The outer face ofthe dependent part' I5 is provided with a threaded hole 'adapted to receive a screwl I6, which, when turned in, engages vthe outsideof the 4canopy ID and securely clamps the bracket on the lowerurim of the canopy. The bracket has an vupward.' extension Il at Vright angles to the"part `I3`land is provided with av pivot hole in whicha pivotrpin I8 is secured. The pivot pin Ial'solgpivotallysupports the operating lever which has a 'long l.outer arm I9 atthe outertend of which isa hole 2B through whichapullcord may be passed and knotted to' be secured against'pulling through the hole. 4'I'lfie lever I9 is formed angularly in cross section to lighten-dt andv to'enhanceits rigidity and 'strength and has anarm 2l disposed in the sameplane asthe armjIS and'at an acute ang-le with referencefthereto. The arm 2| `has a plurality 'of outwardly'and downwardlyinclined notches 22 into which'the ball and socket pull chain kcan be inserted at different positions ralong thev chainv 'so that the lever arm 2| may be secured to the'pull chain to hold the lever ina plurality'of predetermined positions with referen'ce to the pull chain-'fl I. The operation is now obvious; a downward motion on the long arm I9 of the lever v4causes the shorter y arm 2l of the lever to rock away from the canopy I0 and to operate the switch which isy connected with the pull chain II.y The operative position is shown inydotted lines for .all modifications.

Asisy well known inthe art, these switches containaspring which automatically returnsthe pull chain tothe inoperative-position and simultaneously lifts the lever I9 to the inoperative position upon releasing the cord that is kattached to 'the end of the long arm ofthe levers A modified form is shownin Figuresand 4; The bracket has a ilat dependingpiece 55, a bottom piece 56, and aninside piece '5l for engaging the rim of the canopy'. I'towhich it is fastened by the screw I6. They lever has a long arm 54 and a short arm 62 which latter normally engages a stop 59 on an arm 58 rising on u the bracket. The lever fulcrum 60 turns on a socket ,pull chain I I which passes through` the side near the bottom of the canopy` 30. this modication the bracket 3I has an opening 36 in its upper extension 3| which -is'adapted "to nt around the opening in the nipple Vof canopy 3B through which the pull chain passes. A locking nut 35 is placed on aA threaded aperturedstud or nipple outside the pull chain aperture 36 and when tightened engages the bracket 3l and presses it tightly against the canopy 39.

The bracket has a .downwardly and outwardly curved portion 32 which terminates in an extension 34 at right angles to the body of the bracket 3l. for supporting therein a. `pivot pin 31 which mounts the lever by means of an aperture near the apex of the angle between the long arm I9 of the lever and the Short arm 2|. This lever is angled in cross-section and at the outer end of the long arm is provided with a hole through which a pull cord 45 may be passed for operating the lever and the short arm 2i is provided with downwardly and outwardly inclined notches, or slots r2.2 for receiving and securing the ball and socket chain-which operates the electrical switch. These notches, or slots, are so constructed that they receive the connecting parts between the balls of the chain so that by locking the chain between adjacent balls it is secure against escape in either direction but the position of the chain linearly may be varied and by locking the chain in one slot instead of in another slot the position of the chain also may be likewise varied.

Another modied form is shown in Figures '7 and 8. A b-racket 10 engages the outside of the canopy 30, and has a hole 1I surrounding the nipple or stud on the side of the canopy through which the pull chain I I passes. A nut 12 locks the bracket 10 against the `canopy 30. The bracket 10 has at the bottom van outwardly and upwardly extending arm 13 bifurcated at the ends 14 to support a pivot pin 15. The long arm 11 of the lever supports the pull cord 45 at the outer end and the short arm 16 is formed at the upper end with a notch 13 having a narrow top central opening and a circular enlargement below but smaller than the balls of the chain II. As the chain is pushed down thev link of the chain passes through the narrow top aperture and lies in the enlarged bottom of the notch 18, so that it is locked against movement in either direction.

Modications may be made, 4parts may be used without others, and parts may be substituted for others, all within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim: c

l. A= pull-chain switch operator comprising in combination, a bracket having a `U-shaped lower In this case i the electrical switch is provided' with a ball-and- This extension is provided with an aperture end adapted to engage the cylindrical skirt of a canopy and the rim' thereof, a screw threaded thru the outer wall of the U and engageable with the outer wall of the skirt to press the inner part of the U rmly against the inner wall of the skirt, a vertical extension from the outer part of the U, an acute angled lever pivotally mounted transversely on the vertical extension with one arm of the lever extending outward and another arm extending vvertically upward, said vertical arm having a lateral extension with a downwardly inclined slot therein for engaging a pull chain, and a stop for limiting the movement of the lever toward the canopy.

2. A pull-chain switch operator comprising in combination, a bracket having a U-shaped lower end adapted to engage the cylindrical skirt of a canopy and the rim thereof, a screw threaded thru the outer wall of the U and engageable with the outer wall of the skirt to press the vinner part of the U iirrnly againstthe inner wall of the skirt, a vertical extension from the outer part of the U, an acute angled lever pivotally. mounted transversely on the vertical extension with one arm .of the lever extending outward and theother arm extendingvertically upward, saidv vertical arm having a lateral extension with a downwardly inclined slot therein for'engaging a pull chain, and a pull cord attached to the cuter arm of the lever.

3. A pull-chain switch operator comprising in combination, a bracket having a U-shaped lower end adapted to engage the cylindrical skirt of a canopy and the rim thereof, a' screw threaded thru the outer wall of the U and engageable with the youter wall of the skirt to press' the inner part of the U firmly against` the inner wall oi the skirt, a vertical extension from the outer part of Vthe U, an acute angled Vlever pivotally mounted transversely on the vertical extension with one arm of the lever extending outward and the other arm extending vertically upward, said vertical arm having a lateral extension inclined outwardly away from the canopy with a plurality of downwardly inclined slots therein for engaging a pull chain, and a. pull cord attached to the outward arm of the lever.v u

4. A pull-chain switch operator comprising in combination, a bracket formed ofat metal and having a U-shaped lower end adapted to engage opposite sides of the cylindrical skirt of a canopy and the lower rim thereof, a set-screw threaded thru the outer wall of the U and engageable with the outer wall of the skirt to press the inner part of the U rmly against the inner wall of the skirt to securev it thereon, a vertical extension from the outer wall of the U twisted into a plane at right angles to the outer wall of the U, an acute angled lever having a flat apex, a pivot pin extending through said vertical extension and said flat apex and holding said extension and said leverin pivotal engagement, one arm of the lever extending vertically upward, said .Vertical arm having a lateral extension and a downwardly inclined slot therein for engaging a downwardly and outwardly extending pull-chain, the other arm of said lever also having a lateral extension,

.andl a pull-cord on said last-mentioned arm.

BENJAMIN SCHOENBERG. 

